If you are shy and/or like to stay under the radar, this helmet ain't for you. The look and size of this "military" helmet attracts the attention of everybody on the river and make you look somewhere between "Bad Boy" and a total fool, I have never been to a spot without someone asking me "hey, what's that helmet?"

Behind the flashy optics hides a quality piece of gear. This is a very solid carbon helmet and it has saved my head more than once. Twice I got shocks so hard on the rear of my head, that the helmet slipped partly over my face - and on one of those occasions it broke my nose! This is not the helmet's fault, as I did not fix the rear strap correctly, but you can see how violent some rock contact can be under water - and apart from a few scratches there are no traces of any abuse on the surface. Your ears aree very well protected, too. While it seems fashionable to wear nothing more than an eggshell at any given playspot, I prefer a totally enveloping protection in rivers or creeks.

There's also a downside to the size and shape of the helmet: it "catches a lot of water" when you hang under your boat. You sometimes feel the helmet tear and pull on your head, when streaming water catches the gap between the helmet and your ears. This is pretty uncomfortable and may be a safety issue in real tough white water, but that's not what I do. The helmet would fit better with wider straps.